Dredge construction



April 13 1926.

DREDGE CONS TRUG'I'I O N a sheets-sheet 1 Filed August 24, 1925 vApril13 1926. W. CLIFFORD DREDGE CONSTRUCTION Filed Augusi 24, 2 sheets-sheetV2 @Umweg i u Patentes apr. 13,1926. I

' leaving the pilot house 3,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM CLIFFORD, or DULUTII, MINNESOTA. f

\ DREDGE CONSTRUCTION.

appnpauon fried August 24, 1925. seriai No. 51,961.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM CLIFFORD, a citizen of the United States,-residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnestota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'DredgeConstructions, of which the following a speciiication, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawing. y

This invention relates to anovel method of transforming a common freightvessel into a dredge, and has special reference to such a methodparticularly adapted to the simple and economical converting of what isknown as the Fredri'ckstadtype o-f transports built during the war andnow of questionable service to a form of vessel or hydraulic dredge forwhich there is great de- K mand. y

The objects being obvious I will now pro-k ceed to describe the steps ofthe method as depicted in the accompanying drawings forming part of,this application and in which like reference charactersl indicate likeparts.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the common type of transport used duringthe `World Var period and known as the Fredrickstad type of ship.

Figure 2 is a partial cross-section of same.

Figure 3 is a similar view'to Figure 1 showing the relative lpositionlof the deck and cabins to the hull after conversion; and

Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 2 after conversion.

The number of this type of transport vessel now of comparatively littlevalue is well known to those versed in the art as is also the demand forthe resultant product in the form of an hydraulic dredge,.and the firststep in the act of conversion resides in cutting off the forward andafter ends of the vessel on approximately the lines 1-1 and 2-2respectively, and scrapping same, thus midship superstructure 1l,boilers 5, and engine 6 intact in the centermcst section of the vessel.

This being accomplished result-s in the remaining section being rathertop heavy in proportion to its horizontal dimensions to overcomepwhichthe section is cut horizontally as indicated on the line y7--7 in Figure2 and again on the line 8-8 FigureQ; thev intervening portion beingscrapped and the superstructure lowered so that it may be E' reunited tothe substructure,l resulting in a vesselnow of better proportions forthe work intended, and, asis obvious, the vertical section removed maybe any desired depth, but lion practice fromsix to eight feet has'proven est. f

Further slight modifications may be accomplished as for example theremoval of the pilot house 3 Ato the opposite end of the superstructure,the cabin ,4: continued as at 9, and the adding of a scow like bow andstern thereto; the nomenclature of the ends of the vessel being reversedas the bow ofV the dredge no-w becomes what was the sternv or after partof the freight vessel.

The shaft ofthe vessel being cut'is suitdesired to the ably connected orgeared as pump 10, the suction of which is illustrated at 11y anddepends from the bowL of the dredgeas at'12, the mast and boom forsupporting and controlling same being illustrated at 13 and 14respectively,A while at the opposite end of the dredge or sternfismounted in any desired manner the anchoring spuds 15.

In thismanner there is provided a simple and inexpensive methodof-producingfan eX- ceedingly practical and efficient dredge; thisparticular type of freight vesselfbeing had at low Vcost and thetransformation requiring much less expenditure than the cost of newmachinery and Aequipment as found within such vessels.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is:

The herein described method of transforming a common freight vessel intoa hydraulic dredge comprising first removing the ends o-f the vesselandforming ay scow like bow and stern to the-midship section, removing avertical section of the sides of the hull y and reuniting the remainingportions, and

connecting hydraulic dredge machinery to the power unit as found inthevessel.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

VILLIAM CLIFFORD, l

